


Mistletoe

by vcg73



Series: Helen's Holidays [5]
Category: Glee
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Gen, M/M, not actually set at christmas but related to it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:54:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27920074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vcg73/pseuds/vcg73
Summary: Kurt is determined to solve a small mystery at NYADA.
Relationships: Adam Crawford/Kurt Hummel
Series: Helen's Holidays [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2031145
Comments: 1
Kudos: 22





	Mistletoe

On his very first day at NYADA, he had seen it. A single sprig of mistletoe tucked back against the underside of the north stairwell near the dance studios. It had obviously been missed during the post holidays clean up. Easy to understand how it had survived the purge. A dark plant in a shadowy recess was not easy to spot unless you were looking for it.

Kurt had only seen it because he had jumped back, ducking beneath the staircase to avoid two oblivious ballerinas who were literally pirouetting down the corridor, and then rolled his eyes at the absurdity of such a thing. It had caught his eye then. A red ribbon, a cluster of green, a few tiny white berries. Unmistakable.

A bittersweet smile had crossed his face. A leftover, waiting for a kiss. For love that would never be. He felt a certain kinship to the sad little bit of flora.

As the long January days passed, Kurt settled into his new life at the prestigious performing arts school. Classes, practices, new clubs, new friends. A new possibility in the form of compliments and coffee dates. A life that seemed strangely far away from the one he’d lived before.

And somehow the mistletoe remained, hidden and waiting. It teased him with remembrances of the old, and possibilities of the new. No one else ever seemed to notice it was there, and as the days passed Kurt became reluctant to mention it to anyone. Unwilling to draw attention to it only to see it torn down.

Once, when no one was around to see, he had reached up and touched it. It had remained so robust that he’d started to suspect that it was fake. To his surprise, the leaves were not plastic or silk, but cool living plant life. It was real, and somehow it had not even dried out as the weeks went by.

He watched more closely after that. Was someone replacing the plant? Nurturing it? And if so, why?

Finally, one evening in early February, Kurt got his answer. He had been kept late practicing for his first midterm in beginning dance. He left the practice rooms and was making his way down the dim and deserted hallway, when he heard a sound. Someone was singing under their breath, and it was coming from the staircase.

Fearing for the fate of his mistletoe, Kurt lightened his step and approached on silent feet. Having been expecting a janitor, he almost gave himself away with a soft gasp when he recognized the other person.

His friend Adam (Not quite a boyfriend yet, though Kurt had begun to feel optimistic.), was standing on a small rusty step ladder that Kurt recognized as one of the ramshackle set pieces that the Apples kept in their preferred practice room. He was crooning to the little plant, spritzing it with water from a spray bottle he’d had hooked to his belt.

To Kurt’s surprise, Adam stopped singing and made a sort of “hmmm” noise of concern, then pulled out a pocket knife and carefully disengaged the ribbons holding the mistletoe to the ceiling. Taking it down revealed a plastic sandwich bag, filled with soil in which the tiny plant’s roots were buried. No wonder the sprig had stayed in such good shape for so long!

Adam sprayed a little water into the bag, then sealed it securely and taped it up again using a half-finished roll of duct tape that he had stored in one of the many pockets of his green cargo pants.

“So, it’s been you all along,” Kurt said softly, stepping out of the shadows.

Adam yelped and jumped, narrowly saved from a bad fall off the ladder by a quick leap forward from Kurt. They both stumbled as Kurt caught Adam by the waist and somehow managed to steady him before they both went down in a heap.

Adam’s arms had instinctively tightened around his rescuer and as he straightened up and kicked aside the fallen step-ladder, he smiled, retaining a light grip on Kurt’s shoulders. “You scared the piss out of me just now, you know, but I think it may have been worth it.”

Feeling a blush heating his face, Kurt nonetheless found that he did not want to release the grip his hands had taken around Adam’s mid-section either. They had never been quite so close before, and he felt his heart beating faster. “Sorry for scaring you. I didn’t mean to. It’s just, I’ve been wondering since I started here who was responsible for that.”

He looked up, Adam following his gaze to the cheery little plant dangling just above their heads.

Adam’s cheeks went a bit pink as well. “Oh. Well, I suppose I never thought I’d be found out. I spotted it up there the week after New Year’s, forgotten. It was alive, but neglected and forlorn. A bit ragged, but it still had some life and happiness left to give. It just looked like it could use a friend.“

“You’re good at finding lost and broken things and giving them a helping hand,” Kurt commented, cocking his head significantly. “Aren’t you?”

“Only the ones that are strong enough to have done the hard bit on their own,” Adam said. “I have a weakness for strength, bravery, and beauty. It’s a rare combination, and one that shouldn’t be neglected, or left unappreciated by those who have the eyes to see it.”

Kurt smiled at the plant. “It looks happy that you found it.” He bit his lip and dared to slide his arms further around Adam’s body, pulling him close enough to make his intention clear. “I’m happy that you found me too. This is on my bucket list, you know.”

Adam smiled. “Being kissed under the mistletoe?”

He nodded. “By someone special. It’s one of the very first things I ever wrote down.”

Brushing a loose lock of hair back from Kurt’s brow, Adam traced the edge of his cheek and cupped his jaw. He glanced up at the mistletoe and said, “Would it be all right if I admitted that I’ve been daydreaming about this, ever since I discovered you both sharing this school?”

He bent forward and touched Kurt’s lips as lightly as the brush of a feather. Then more firmly when Kurt signaled his approval with a soft longing noise and surged forward to meet him.

Their arms locked securely around each other, lips moving sensuously, getting to know what each other liked and needed, moment by exquisite moment. Kurt’s tongue darted forward a bit shyly, taking a teasing taste of Adam’s, and he responded with gratifying eagerness. After a few moments, Kurt completely lost himself in the heat and the passion of what was, hands-down, the best kiss of his entire life.

After what seemed like forever, and yet not nearly long enough, Adam disengaged from the kiss and straightened up with a shaky sigh that was quickly followed by a laugh. “I think this mistletoe may have just become my very favorite plant.”

Kurt kissed him again, softly this time. “You took good care of it. It’s only right that it gets to return the favor.”

Eyes flicking upward, Adam considered the mistletoe for a moment. “It can’t last forever.”

“Then let’s appreciate it for however long it does last,” Kurt whispered, not wanting to think too much about the future. Not while the present was so unusually wonderful.

“Then again,” Adam said fondly, stroking his thumbs over the cords of Kurt’s long neck in a way that made him feel like he was melting on the spot. “If one takes proper care, good things can last a very long time indeed.”

Looking deep into his eyes for a moment, Adam smiled and captured Kurt’s waiting lips once more.

THE END


End file.
